Beginning In The Past To Shape A Future
by CrAzYE
Summary: 'Dite makes a trip back in time to pick up some help to save her latest project and throw a kink in Are's plans for the most recent reincarnation of Xena's soul. DISCLAIMER: Joss, ME, Renaissance Pictures, Rob Tapert etc own them. I'm just playing with them for my own amusement :) I own nothing bar my comp, my car and my girl's heart!
1. Chapter 1

NOTES: This was ORIGINALLY intended for The Buffyverse Femslash X-over of the month back in like September 2006. It's been sitting in my head since about 2 months before that having had the advance warning that comes with being a mod. However, though my muse was home and quite happy to amuse me with tales it would seem my writer took an 18 month break. So here 'tis. Please review... my muse has been missing for a while. Am hoping this may bring her home to have it completed.

A/N2: QUIESCO VENEFICUS is a combination of Latin words from an online english-latin translator. Thanks to Zap for the link to the site. I found the word for stop which is Quiesco and Venificus means either witch or spell caster and just put them together to use. So please don't shoot me cuz my Latin sucks :-p Latin is not an option in most Oz secondary schools that I know of, so I never had the chance to take it.

A/N3: Any Greek Mythical Beings mentioned are a) based partly on fact and b) based partly on Xena-lore and all thrown together in my own way.

A/N4: Thanks to Zap also, for the beta'ing.

SPOILERS: S-3, S-4 BtVS. X:WP up til season 4, after "Between The Lines". Let's pretend too that the conceit is actual fact and the show came about from Gab's scrolls. Gabrielle didn't throw away her staff ala Eli's Way either. Oh, and Riley. He's gone the way of Parker and Angel already. Mainly cuz I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of getting rid of him :) 

DEDICATIONS: As always to my heart, my life. Laina, without you I would  
be incomplete.

1.

Sometime BC

It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. At least in Gabrielle's scrolls. They didn't have anywhere to be when they had gotten up this morning, so they had spent the day walking along at leisure. The little blonde bard had enjoyed it immensely as it was the first real chance she and Xena had had to spend some real alone time together in over a moon. Most of the day had been spent in comfortable silence with the occasional conversation over nothing at all really, springing up between them. After the trip forward in time to save Xena and stop Alti, then helping the village it had been far too long since the warrior and bard had had a chance to spend a quiet day together.

The warrior and her bard had spent the last moon helping rebuild a small village raiders had been attacking at least once a day for a fortnight. After turning up just in time for the last attack, Xena had either killed or scared away the raiders and the duo had set about helping the villagers rebuild burnt down buildings and set up defenses against future attacks. They had been unable to find a moment to themselves in that time because at the end of each day they'd been too exhausted to do much more than fall into bed, curl up into the other and pass out.

As the blonde puttered around setting up camp in the small cave Xena had  
found for them to spend the night in she found herself increasingly distracted by thoughts of her blue-eyed warrior. It had been far too long since they had been intimate and now her body was demanding recompense for the denial of her warrior's electric touch over the last few weeks.

A candle mark or so later found the bard and warrior exactly where they both wanted to be, in each other's arms. What seemed like a forever of foreplay to Gabrielle had finally culminated in her having Xena right where she wanted her.

Xena felt a shiver go up her spine followed by a softly giggled "Oops." floating around in the air behind her. She spun away from Gabrielle and was on her feet in seconds, sword in hand pointed at the empty air at the end of the bed.

"Alright," the warrior growled. "Show yourself, I know you're there." The last thing the warrior wanted was her time with her bard interrupted by anyone, let alone gods after so long but it would seem that's exactly what was happening. There was a shimmering in the air in front of her and a slightly flushed Aphrodite appeared before the end of the sword grinning sheepishly.

The blonde goddess pushed the blade away from her with the tip of her finger, cleared her throat and said "Settle down tall, dark and dangerous. I'm sorry I err… popped in on you at the wrong time," She smiled a little sheepishly at this. "But I wouldn't be here though unless I had to be. And just so you know, my timing is all out of whack otherwise it would have been a candle mark at least, before I showed up here. Would have just waited too if you hadn't decided to wave that thing about and tickle my ribs with it."

Xena rolled her eyes at the blonde goddess before turning her back on her to gather her armor. As she adjusted the buckles on the chest piece she looked over at the goddess. "So Aphr..." The rest of what the warrior was going to say was muffled by the goddess' hand covering her mouth. The goddess had moved so quickly Xena hadn't even seen her move.

"Don't use my name. Or you will invoke the 'Dite of this time. Well at least her hearing. Just call me 'Dite. You will eventually anyway." Now both the bard and warrior were looking at her in total puzzlement. The blonde goddess sighed. "It's a long story. Why don't you get dressed and I'll tell you about it."

Several candlemarks later and Xena was not in a good mood. Not only had she been taken from the arms of her bard before Gabrielle had soothed her pain, now she was being told a tale that sounded totally incredible and was expected to go along with the totally insane plan that went with it. She leaned back further against the log behind her and closed her eyes. Damn Ares to Tartarus and back, again and again, she swore to herself.

It would appear that the goddess that was talking to them, was from a future millennia in front of her. A 'Dite who had seen many an age come to pass and fall. A woman who had changed so much from the goddess they knew in this time there were moments she seemed unrecognizable to the pair. Yet so many things about her had remained the same. Like the way Dite and Ares would always be rival siblings, constantly fighting for their Father's approval, even though from what Dite had said the rest of the Greek Gods no longer existed in that time. And once again, the warrior's aid was needed to solve their squabble. Simply because Ares couldn't give up his fascination with her and making her his Chosen again even two thousand years in the future. She sighed deeply and rubbed her temples. Cursed centaur's assed gods!

Aphrodite waited a moment or two to give the pair in front of her time to gather some of their thoughts together then asked them the question that would change all their futures. "So will you help?"

Some 2000 odd years in the future and then some.

Faith swung the fork at Buffy's face but the blonde ducked away and the force of Faith's swing buried the fork and her own hand in the wall behind. As Faith was attempting to pull it out Buffy grabbed her, throwing her against the table again. The dark slayer quickly elbowed Buffy in the face with a backward swing freeing herself in the process. Faith made a mad scramble across the table and she could hear the screaming of approaching police cars.

"The cops." She muttered to herself, knowing she didn't have a lot of time. She made for the living room and for the surprise she held in store for the other slayer. Buffy was right behind her, not even hesitating when Faith changed directions.

Too close for Faith's liking as she reached the open French doorway, and she grabbed one of the doors swinging it into Buffy's face. The blonde just crashed right through it stumbling into the living room. She had barely regained her own balance before she was threw a quick combination at the brunette, sending the younger slayer crashing down through the coffee table.

Faith scrambled to her feet quickly enough to dodge Buffy's next hit, grabbing the blonde by her arm and pushing her across the room to throw her into the glass bookcase. Needing to regain the advantage Faith threw out a round-house kick but found it blocked. After a backhand across the face Faith gets in another roundhouse knocking Buffy down. Seeing her chance, Faith grabbed a small contraption off the mantelpiece and slid it over her hand, silently praying this would change the way things were turning out.

The dark slayer turned to find Buffy on her feet and approaching swiftly. She wasn't quite quick enough to block the incoming left hook which was followed by an even faster right. Before Buffy can swing again Faith grabs her hand, holding on tightly.

A glow began to emanate from between their hands just as Willow burst in the front door. Seeing the two locked as they were and a kind of shockwave starting to pass through them she didn't even think about it, the words leaving her mouth. "QUIESCO VENEFICUS"

The shockwave stopped mid way through both slayers and it and the light began retracting back into the device as it also threw the slayers apart before finally exploding in Faith's palm in a little poof! The brunette looked at the contraption aghast before throwing it in the direction of the Super Friends and bolting out through the back door and into the night, hoping to avoid the cops at the front. Buffy was hot on her heels before she'd even left the room, yelling at Willow to take care of her mom.

The blonde was hot on Faith's tail as she leapt over the back fence and bolted through another yard. The younger Slayer could almost swear she could feel Buffy's breath on her neck. She put her head down and kept running, turning into another dark alley hoping to maybe lose the other slayer in the dark but she knew even that hope was dim. Faith was so focused on Buffy behind her, that she failed to see the swirling of pink lights just ahead of her and two figures tumbling into her path.

The warrior barely had time to keep her balance and keep Gabrielle standing when she saw the dark figure running towards her.

"That her?" She whispered to an invisible Aphrodite. The soft 'yes' response floated around her for a moment before disappearing and her senses told her the goddess had left to let them do what they could.

Xena watched the figure approaching swiftly, and could tell she was being chased by someone. A blonde rounded the corner behind the one Xena knew as Faith and she figured this had to be Buffy.

"Faith." Xena said, hoping it would be enough to catch the brunette slayer's attention before she ploughed down both her and Gabrielle.

The brunette stopped dead in front of the strangely dressed women in front of her and dropped into a fighting stance, her attention having been called to them by the use of her name.

"Who the fuck are you?" Faith was fully aware of the fact that the blonde had stopped behind her and was waiting to see what would happen, neither knowing if the two in front of them were friend or foe or just some badly costumed geeks out in the dark. "And what the hell do you want? You're in my way."

Without waiting for a response, Faith's flight or fight reaction fully controlling her, she went to attack the taller of the two. Going on the sword attached to her back and the Frisbee-looking thing around her waist Faith figured her to be the more immediate threat. The brunette was right, of course. She didn't even see the warrior's hands move. She felt something push in her neck then she was on her knees unable to move.

The blonde turned to her darker companion and sighed. "Did you have to put the pinch on her? We're here to help her, not kill her."

The brunette looked guilty for a moment before her hands flew out again and removed said pinch, though not quite quick enough to stop the nosebleed that followed. The effects would leave Faith unable to move for the moment so she knew neither her nor Gabrielle would be in any danger from her for at least a few minutes. She didn't feel quite so safe from the blonde who now looked like she was preparing to attack, approaching cautiously as she had seen how quickly the taller one had taken out Faith.

"Wait! Please." Gabrielle chose this moment to step in. "We're here to help."

Buffy snorted in response. "Yeah, like I'm supposed to believe that." Indicating to Xena though she slowed her approach. "She just took down Faith with no effort. And trust me, it takes some." Hoping, instead for some sort of explanation but keeping her guard up just the same. If they took Faith down easily they were definitely a possible threat but she didn't want to just attack in case they were speaking the truth and were here to help Faith. She looked them over taking note of the unusual clothes and the fact the taller one carried a sword and a round thing at her waist, while the other carried what seemed to be a staff to Buffy. They looked weird enough that they just might be telling the truth, especially considering the crazy town she lived in.

"It's ok. We're friends and we have been sent to help. Help Faith and you." Gabrielle could tell she would have to explain further, even though she really wasn't sure what to say. They weren't allowed to say who had sent them. Mainly because if they knew, someone would work out why Aphrodite had her finger in the pot, so to speak.

"I don't need help." Buffy looked almost incredulous. "And why should I listen to someone who doesn't even introduce themselves before attacking?"

"Hey, Faith attacked me first." Xena tried to defend herself while shooting a look at Gabrielle, her look saying 'why is it they say they never need help when in fact they do'. She trusted her bard to get them past this one. Gabrielle was the talker, she was the doer. The little blonde rolled her eyes in response to her lover's silent question before turning her attention back to Buffy.

"I'm sorry for my lack of manners, " The little blonde smiled at Buffy in a way she hoped was friendly. "But Xena is right, she did attack first." Gabrielle said, "Xena being the tall, dark, brooding one here. And I'm Gabrielle." The little blonde bard continued to smile at the older Slayer, hoping to put her at ease.

Faith's eyes widened at her statement, though Gabrielle's introduction had no effect on Buffy. Faith tried to shake her head, thinking she had to be imagining things, Buffy had to have thumped her too hard at one point or something cause there was no way someone from the long distant past could be here now, right? Especially one who's achievements preceded her to become the stuff of legends. A legend come to life to help her. Maybe she was worth saving after all, was Faith's last thought before she passed out from shock and the temporary blood restriction.

"What the hell?" said Buffy as she rushed to the younger slayer's side. "What did you do to her?" As angry as she was at Faith, Buffy just couldn't stand by and let someone else harm the younger girl. Double standardish much, Buffy knew but she just couldn't help it.

"It's ok, she's just passed out from the blood loss." The tall one named Xena said calmly. "She'll wake up soon enough."

"And is there somewhere we could go to, maybe talk and make sure Faith is alright?" inquired Gabrielle.

Something about the little blonde made Buffy feel, that despite their unusual appearance in the middle of the night in the middle of Sunnydale no less, that she could trust them.

DISCLAIMER: Argo was not harmed during Xena's absence and the making of this motion FIC. She did, in fact, find a nice pasture not far from the  
cave with plenty of grass to graze, and await her mistress' return.


	2. Chapter 2

Buffy scooped Faith up into her arms with little effort and turned towards home. Xena and Gabrielle followed close behind. They weren't far from Buffy's when they were set upon by a group of six vamps.

The three women paused in their tracks. Buffy quickly scanned the area for a safe place to lay Faith. She honestly didn't believe Xena or Gabrielle could take the vamps on. 

As Buffy turned to pass Faith to Gabrielle, she heard Xena step up  
beside her and whisper, "Vamps?"

"Yeah," replied Buffy, not getting the chance to say much else as she gently stood a still unconscious Faith upright, and passed her into Gabrielle's arms for support. 

The slayer looked at Gabrielle with an unspoken plea in her eyes. The bard knew then that the brunette meant a great deal to Buffy. Blonde acknowledged blonde in a hastily forged bond of trust. Buffy braced herself for battle, as she heard metal on leather and a whoosh in the air following by the ka-ching of metal on brickwork. 

The blonde slayer turned around just in time to see 6 or 7 piles of dust laying in front of them and Xena whipping her hand in front of her face catching her chakram as it slid past Buffy's nose at an incredible speed. 

Buffy looked over at the tall brunette, surprise and respect clearly showing in her eyes. She watched the warrior clip the circlet back onto a loop on her belt. Making a mental note to ask about the weapon later, she turned back to the blonde behind her relieving her of Faith's unconscious weight. 

A moment or two later the three of them entered Buffy's back yard through the gate and headed to the now closed back door. Xena pushed on it and looked back at Buffy. 

"It's locked." 

The blonde tried to hide her smile by shifting Faith around in her arms a little so she could indicate to the door handle, wondering exactly where the hell these strangely dressed women had come from not to know a door handle and how to use it. 

"Push that down, it should open. Mom would have known I'd be back." 

Xena did as instructed and watched, eyebrow raised in curiosity, as the door opened before her. Walking in, she waited for Gabrielle and Buffy to pass and stooped to investigate the mechanism. She'd never seen a door handle before. 

After pushing the handle up and down for a few moments and watching the  
latch pop out and retract, she put it down to being some weird kinda latch and lock system that she'd never seen before. She shrugged to herself before turning to follow the two blondes through the house. She had decided not to allow herself too much curiosity. Who knows how it could affect the future?

***

The tall warrior entered the Summers' living room to be greeted by the sight of a very angry red-head pacing in front of Buffy. Obviously, the slayer was only able to enter a few steps into the room, before she was confronted. 

"No Buffy. She's dangerous. You can't just bring her back here and think everything's going to be just peachy. She's a murderer." 

Xena tuned the redhead out for a moment to take the time to scan the room. She noticed an older woman off to the side who was eyeing both her and Gabrielle curiously. The brunette figured this to be Buffy's mum. She used the descriptions Aphrodite had to given them to figure out the rest of the room's occupants.

The ranting redhead she could only assume to be Willow. Not just by the description, but 'Dite had also said she would be the biggest resistance. Xena could already tell the statement was going to prove true.

Next, her eyes settled upon the taller boy behind the redhead. He looked just as angry as the redhead, but tinges of fear floated around his features. He was nervously watching Faith, sure she would awaken very soon. This would have to be Xander.

Xena glanced at two other women sitting on the couch behind them, deducing that they must be Tara and Anya, but she couldn't tell which was which, until one of them spoke. 

"That's right, honey. You tell her why we can't just keep the killer all locked up here instead of in a jail." She had a perky, supportive look on her face and all Xena could do was stare at her curiously. This had to be Anya, the ex-demon. Just then said ex-demon noticed Xena's casual perusal of her as well as the blonde beside the warrior. Her brow furrowed with consternation and she marched up behind Xander tapping him on the shoulder. 

"And you also might want to ask for an explanation of who they are and why they look like they're going to one of those strange parties you humans call fancy dress." 

She pointed over Xander's shoulder towards the two strangers among them.  
Xander's eyes bulged with recognition when he looked where Anya was  
pointing. Xena knew what he was thinking. She had seen the same look on  
Faith's features before the slayer had passed out. It was the same shocked look most of her opponents wore once they realized EXACTLY who she was. 

Willow stopped pacing, she too, finally noticing the pair behind Buffy. Her eyes widened as Xander's had and she gasped. Buffy, noticing the Scoobies reactions remembered they were behind her and glanced over her shoulder. She was now even more curious, especially as the women had evoked such a surprised reaction from her friends. She had not been expecting the recognition. 

"Right," the blonde slayer said, turning back to face her friends while moving into 'Take Charge' mode. "Let me get Faith settled." 

Willow started to protest but Buffy cut her off. 

"Not now Willow. Let's work out what's actually going on first, ok?" Seeing the redhead nod in reluctant agreement the blonde continued. "I'll get Faith situated and we'll sit down and talk. 'Cause I wanna know exactly who you two are. Why you are here, and even more so, how you both just appeared out of thin air." She directed this at the pair from Ancient Greece. 

She looked back at the redhead. "Give Giles a call and ask him to come over here, we may need a hand." Turning her attention to her mom, "You don't mind us taking over for a while? Giles' place isn't really equipped to fit this many people and a slayer who could wake up any second." 

Joyce could do little but look around the room wondering when the evening had gone all twilight zone with strange travelers and psycho slayers, as she shook her head at her daughter in compliance. 

"The basement might be best at the moment," the blonde thought out loud.  
Turning to Joyce again, Buffy asked, "Mom, is that camp bed still stored down in the basement?" 

Her mother looked at her in confusion. 

The blonde couldn't help the half sympathetic smile she sent her mother's way. "Trust me Mom, I'm almost as confused. Let's get Faith downstairs and settled. Then we'll come up and make some sense of all this." Buffy knew it wouldn't be long before the brunette awoke, and she wanted to be prepared. 

Xena had been thinking much the same thing. "I'll come with you and stay down there. Someone needs to watch over her and Gabrielle knows as much  
as I do." The blonde next to her nodded in confirmation. "She can fill you in on what we know and vice versa. Is that ok?" 

Buffy agreed, as she signaled her mom to follow them. The trio ventured  
downstairs to take care of the still sleeping dark slayer. 

When Buffy and Joyce returned upstairs it was to a much calmer house.  
Giles was there already, sitting on the couch with Anya and someone else  
Buffy didn't recognize. The blonde recalled her being there for the previous conversation and was now very curious as to who she was. 

It appeared someone had raided the kitchen and Giles had his usual cup of tea sitting in front of him. Buffy looked around the room as her mother headed to the kitchen to fix snacks for everybody else. 

"Right, so first things, first." Buffy spoke up. Every pair of eyes in the room turned to her. She looked at Tara. "Who are you?" the blonde indicated to Gabrielle, "I, at the very least, know their names." 

Willow spoke up. "This is Tara. My friend that I told you about. The witchy friend." Willow smiled encouragingly at Tara and received a warm smile in return for her efforts. 

Buffy also smiled at the blonde wiccan, welcoming her. "It's very nice to meet you Tara, I'm just sorry it's not under better circumstances." 

Tara's cheeks brightened, she wasn't used to people being pleased to meet her. She dropped her head in embarrassment, managing to stutter out "Thanks." 

"Ok," Buffy turned her attention back to the room. "I think it might be Gabrielle's turn to share." She looked expectantly over at the bard as she made herself comfy in one of the single chairs. "I know you're here to help Faith, but who sent you and why?" 

"Uh Buffy..." Willow could see Buffy had no clue who she had let into her home that night. The slayer turned to her best friend. 

"Yeah Will?" 

"I'm going to guess you don't recognize your guests?" The redhead asked of the blonde. She appeared to be bursting with the need to share what she knew. Buffy responded with a shake of her head. The red-head rolled her eyes a little at the complete ignorant look on her best friend's face before going on to explain. 

"This would be Gabrielle, Warrior Bard of Poteideia, if I'm not mistaken, and companion of Xena: Warrior Princess and one time aspiring Conqueror Of Nations. And going on what you said of their appearance I'm inclined to think I'm right." The red head was nodding enthusiastically to her own theory, the excitement beginning to get to her. 

The blonde across from her had reddened slightly. "You mean to say that  
even after several millennia you guys have heard of us?" 

"Oh Gabrielle." Willow gushed, loving the chance to show off her rather extended knowledge as always. "Your scrolls are legendary. You even have  
your own tv production dedicated to telling the many tales of yours and  
Xena's travels though the ancient world." 

Xander was nodding in agreement. "I remember." he said. "It was that corny show you used to make me watch all the time. The acting wasn't so crash hot," he grinned. "It was mainly a campy humor kinda thing but man, the actresses were hot." His eyes ran over Gabrielle briefly, a goofy grin appearing. "They didn't do too bad a job finding look alikes either. Owwww." He turned around to look at his girlfriend. "What was that for?" he pouted at her. 

"Keep your eyes off the attractive blonde with the perky breasts. I want mine to be the only breasts you look at." Anya turned away, very unhappy with him. 

Xander was immediately apologetic and spent the next few minutes trying to get Anya to talk to him again. Gabrielle, who's face had been slightly pink from Willow's recognition was now a fiery red after Anya's comments. She stared at Buffy with a 'Is this woman for real?' kind of look on her face. 

Buffy rolled her eyes in response and said, "Don't worry about Anya, she tends to be uh... kinda... um..." she struggled for a word. "Honest. You get used to her after a while, kinda." She smiled at the bard sympathetically. 

"Oo-kay," said Gabrielle. She had to wonder to herself exactly what 'Dite had dragged them into. "So I guess we should get down to business, huh?" The little blonde was hoping to get this over and done with because she was starting to tire now. It had been a very long day for both her and Xena. 

Buffy nodded at her. "So what makes Faith so important that you guys were dragged to the Hellmouth from Ancient Greece?" She saw Gabrielle grimace. 

"Long kinda story. I assume you've all heard of the Greek Gods?" 

They all nodded at her. 

"Well, over time it seems all but two of them died out. Our source wasn't too clear on how that happened and there wasn't a lot of time to ask. One of the two, Ares..." 

"Ares?" questioned Willow. "Ares, as in THE God of War? He of the leather?" 

Gabrielle nodded in the affirmative. 

"What's he got to do with it?" The red-head looked slightly panicked. "We don't have to fight him do we? He's a God!" 

"Actually, we're kinda hoping to stay away from him. He's caused enough messes that we have to clean up; now that we're here. Don't worry," she  
smiled sympathetically at Willow, "If he turns up Xena can handle him." Gabrielle looked confident of that fact. 

"But that's not the point. What's important is that Ares has been messing with Faith's mind and emotions. He's the one responsible for everything she did before her coma." She looked over at Willow, knowing her to be the enthusiast of her scrolls. "Have you heard the tale of the Furies? How they can possess and control people?" 

Willow nodded enthusiastically. "The show they made from your scrolls is what started my interest in the ancient world. I've read all sorts of books on the myths and legends of Ancient Greece and Rome. The Furies were also known as The Erinyes and consisted of Alecto The Unceasing, Tisiphone Of Vengeance, and Megaera The Grudging. They would possess a person's mind until they went insane, usually this was done as punishment for foul deeds." 

"That sounds about right," Gabrielle said. "The names were a little different in my time but the rest is fine. Well, Ares is doing something similar. He's placing VERY strong suggestions in her mind. Faith accepts these thoughts as her own, not knowing she is being controlled. He's also been instigating and encouraging the outsider treatment you guys have been giving her." 

"Now wait a minute," Buffy interrupted. "I tried. WE tried. Faith just... kept pushing us away." 

Gabrielle looked at her, giving a very good imitation of Xena with her eyebrow arching and a look that said 'puh-lease'. "Ok, you say you tried. I have to ask, how hard did you really try? Because to me, from what I've been told and what I've seen..." 

Gabrielle didn't get a chance to finish as there was a crash from below and Buffy flew from her chair. 

"Hold that thought, I'll be right back." 

Looking quickly at the others and seeing they weren't in a hurry to find out what was happening, Gabrielle shrugged to herself before hurrying after the other blonde. 

Gabrielle arrived at the bottom of the basement stairs to find Xena and Faith locked in combat and Buffy standing in front of the stairs watching, mouth agape. She noticed Xena hadn't drawn her sword and she figured this was going to turn in a Xena "I'm gonna teach you a lesson whether you like it or not." special. 

She looked at the brunette slayer. The years on the road with Xena had trained her eye and Gabrielle could see that even though it had been a few days, Faith's slayer healing was still trying to make up for the eight month coma, but she wasn't quite up to full strength. The blonde had to admit Faith was still pretty quick, but she was tiring fast. 

"You know who I am... why we're here. This is not going to help, Faith." Xena was saying, even as she blocked a high kick directed at her face with little effort, pushing the slowing brunette away from her. 

Faith did little but growl and come at her again. The talk Xena intended to have with the young slayer, once she woke... didn't play out as expected. It had started well enough with the introductions but the moment she mentioned Faith needed help the other woman had attacked her, throwing her into some shelving against the wall. 

Xena could see now she would have to block Ares somehow if she was going  
to get anywhere. She could see the mad flashes in Faith's eyes. Ares had not been able to reach her in the depths of her coma, but he was once again asserting control and winning. 

The anger Faith felt at being so vulnerable was enough for him to fully catch hold of her again. Remnants of the coma and her actions had been holding him at bay. Thankfully, the slayer was not back to full strength the warrior thought to herself. Or she might be in a bit of a jam right now. 

Xena grew weary of the skirmish, and directed a controlled kick that flew straight past Faith's defenses, connecting with the slayer's temple and rendering her unconscious again. 

Looking over at the two blondes, she gave them a rueful half smile. "I so didn't want to do that." She glanced meaningfully at Gabrielle. "He's got her again. And we're not going to be able to do anything as long as he does." 

Buffy heard the woman behind her sigh. "So I guess a shield of some type would be good." Gabrielle had never been more thankful that for once, at  
least one of the Gods had given them the bulk of the information needed to complete their mission. She turned, "I'll go talk to Willow." 

Buffy stood her ground eyeing Xena thoughtfully for a long moment before finally saying, "So I guess this is the part where you tell me how you managed to not only beat a slayer in a fight but knock her out too? Because even as weak as Faith is right now, her punch still hurts." 

Xena sat down on a nearby box and sighed. "Long story short, I believe I was gifted with almost God like strengths and abilities of War when I was Chosen for Ares." 

"The same God who's now playing with Faith?" The blonde followed the warrior's lead and took a seat on the bottom step. 

Xena nodded. "Only when I decided not to be his Chosen anymore they stayed. I guess it helps he still has a soft spot for me," the tall brunette  
shuddered in disgust. "But I think it was a case of once given cannot be removed kind of deal. Because I'm damn sure he would have taken them back by now if he could have." 

"And Ares wants Faith for what? His Chosen?" Buffy asked incredulously. 

"And that my friend, is the million dollar question." The warrior responded. "Our source isn't 100% sure on that part. But what we do know is Faith is somehow connected to the next reincarnation of my soul and THAT'S why he's playing with her. By keeping her away from where she's meant to be on her life's path, he intends to get the control over my soul he's been seeking since our time. Least that's the plan. We think." Xena grinned ruefully at the Slayer. "A lot of this is all gut hunches and guesses. Some of it is fact. And a lot is based on his previous known behavior." She shrugged. "Unfortunately it's the best we've got to go on. And surprisingly, a lot more than we usually have when it comes to dealing with the Gods and the Fates." 

Buffy started laughing. "I know how that goes, it comes with the Slaying too. All the mystical hoo ha, nothing's ever clear and precise and calculations can be off blah blah blah, and once again the fate of the world rest upon your shoulders and you got bupkiss to work with." 

DISCLAIMER: Argo, again, was not harmed during Xena's absence. However,  
a total of SIX vamps were, in fact, mortally harmed during the making of  
this motion FIC. We assume there were lovely funerals held for all and  
the rumor mill reports the wakes were a total (ash) blast! 


	3. Chapter 3

It took Gabrielle a full half an hour to talk Willow into casting the shield over the Summers' residence, but she had finally managed it. It had taken both the little blonde and Joyce to talk her into it. Joyce had firmly decided she didn't want somebody influencing her decisions and told Willow so; right in the middle of her 'Faith is evil' rant at Gabrielle. Willow stopped arguing and raised the barrier, albeit unwillingly. Everybody noticed the effects almost immediately, their antagonism towards Faith lessening immediately and realizations slipping into place. With the exception of Willow who, surprising everybody else but the duo from Greece, remained as hostile as ever toward her. 

Things remained in pretty much the same state for the next couple of days. Willow had refused to go home and in the end everybody but Xander, Anya and Giles camped out in the Summers' home. Any time a suggestion remotely resembling Faith leaving the basement was made, Willow protested. It was really starting to get on everybody's nerves. 

Faith herself, for the most part, was happy to stay camped out in the basement, not quite ready to face her former... former, well she didn't know what. No matter what her feelings towards any of them, the other slayer in particular, she couldn't call them friends. 

She'd been coerced upstairs by Joyce for one particularly uncomfortable  
meal with Willow staring at her vindictively from the other end of the table. There had been nothing in the way of conversation. Joyce followed Faith to the basement afterwards and apologized for the awkward meal. 

Faith had to give the older woman kudos. Joyce was trying, as was the  
younger Summers. Though she honestly had no idea why, she was grateful  
for it anyway. It made the days more bearable. One could say Faith was  
inflicting the solitude on herself as the beginning of her path to redemption. 

After all, someone had believed in her enough to send two of her heroes  
forward in time to help her turn things around. Faith figured she at least owed the fight her best shot. The girl Faith had been before Allan was beginning to come back, but it was a more focused Faith. She was going to make it count. 

It was around lunchtime a day or so after the dinner debacle when there  
was an insistent knocking on the front door. Xena hurried to open it. As soon as she did a figure covered by some flaming material rushed past her, and into the living room followed by a tall brunette woman; and a shorter bespectacled male. 

Before she could even close the door her senses told her vamp. Spinning  
towards the guests, her hand reached instinctively for her chakram; which lay on the bedside chest in her room. She began looking around for a weapon when there was a stilling hand upon her arm. 

"It's ok." Buffy spoke softly to her, as she moved past the warrior aware of what Xena's intentions had been. "He's the one with a soul." She stopped in the doorway staring at the tall man stamping out the fire on the blanket. "Angel?" The slayer was completely stunned to see her former love standing in her living room. 

The brooding vampire turned to his love and instantly his boyish smile appeared. He couldn't believe how happy he was just to see her. 

"Buffy, I got word you needed some help with a rogue slayer; so here we are." He was hoping his knight in shining armor appeal would still work. He really thought there was a shot at helping Faith, if what Willow told them was right. 

He remembered how angry Buffy had been after hearing he was leaving  
Sunnydale. No matter how much he loved her, they would never work. He  
also remembered the cold shoulder she was so good at giving when she was  
angry. 

Wondering how he had known about Faith she queried, "You got word?" She  
wasn't sure how she felt about that. Who else knew Faith wasn't at large beside those here? 

He nodded, his demeanor becoming more serious as he sensed the change in her. "Willow rang and said Faith needed more help than you guys could  
actually give, and could I help her by taking her to LA and working with  
her? Y'know, cause of my past, knowing what she has to go through." 

Buffy was in shock. Willow? She'd known Willow disliked Faith, but enough to send her away? Without telling her. With Angel's answering nod she spun about looking for the red head. It wasn't a long look. Everybody had come to see who had been at the door, everybody but Faith; who hadn't heard the bell ring. 

Buffy was so angry at her best friend. She'd asked them all specifically not to tell anyone Faith was here. Regardless of the fact that Buffy knew he could help Faith. It also meant Faith leaving Sunnydale, and Buffy wasn't sure if she was ready for that. She still had issues to resolve, dammit. She mentally stomped her foot. And if Faith could work through them, so could she. By the time the blonde had opened her mouth, her feelings had culminated into a scream. 

"You rang Angel?" 

And it was this scream that brought the brunette out of her hiding place  
even though she hadn't heard the words. Everybody turned to look at her  
as they heard the basement door bang as Faith came skidding to a halt in  
front of them. 

She turned bright red realizing they were all looking at her. She hurried to explain herself. 

"I thought... I thought y'know, B screamin' like she was... demon." 

She hung her head and muttered the last word as she turned; heading for  
the basement. She hadn't taken the time to notice all of the room's occupants. 

"Faith?" the vampire looked at the girl before she turned away. He knew instantly that no matter what Willow said, Faith was indeed changing. It was obvious from the looks Joyce, Buffy and two other strange women were giving her, that she had the help she needed. 

The brunette turned in surprise. "Soulboy? I heard you'd left town." She had found out during the first couple days in the basement, when they insisted on posting watch and Xander had taken a turn bringing her comics to read. She had been grateful to him for his kindness. Especially after everything she had done. She wasn't able to apologize to any of them yet. But she felt a sad remorse for her actions. 

Angel smiled at her, trying to show his good intentions. 

"How are you doing? I heard you needed a hand but I can see we've been  
misinformed." He swung his arm out to encompass the two behind him. 

Wesley and Cordelia waved at them sheepishly from behind Angel. 

"Hi." they chorused. 

Faith looked all around the room. "I'm doin' okay Soulboy, thanks for asking." 

"I couldn't let you take her anyway, Angel." Joyce spoke up, the warm smile on her face directed at Faith. "Faith's invited to Christmas dinner." This statement shocked just about everybody as they all knew Christmas was well over six months away. 

"What! NO!" Willow finally spoke up. She was angry. This was not how it was meant to go. They were all supposed to agree to sending Faith off with Angel. She wanted things back to normal, so she could get her best friend back. The friend who had been missing since Willow yelled at her on Faith's first night here. She glared around the room angrily. 

Tara reached out from behind the wiccan and caught her arm, trying silently to stop what she could see coming next. She had tried for days to talk Willow out of this. 

"How can you all stand here and have a normal conversation when she has  
to leave? She can't stay here anymore. I won't allow it." 

Joyce chose this moment to step in. "Ahem, Willow forgive me for asking, but who's house is this?" 

Willow immediately realized her poor choice of words and apologized to Joyce, though she still continued. "I'm sorry. Poor word usage. Ok, maybe I can't make her leave, but her staying can't be for the best. We can't help her. Surely you all know that?" She looked around the room for support and found none, not even from Xander. What she did find was a pair of ice blue steel boring into her from the doorway. Willow gulped. She had angered the Warrior Princess. 

Xena took her eyes away from Willow and softened her expression to look  
at Gabrielle. Things had gone too far and now there were outside  
influences. It was time for the other plan. 

"Time for Plan B?" She asked her partner anyways, knowing the blonde  
agreed with her even before she nodded in reply. Xena stepped forward  
breaking the silence. 

"Right, so I've had just about enough of this." She looked about the room. "We came here to help Faith. And all but you agreed." She stared directly at the red head, who averted her eyes from the warrior's glare. She looked about the room, searching for the source of the tingle she'd been feeling for the last five minutes. Finding a slight pink sparkle floating in the corner, she knew all was in place. 

"It's time for a new plan." The warrior grinned, happy for the first time in nearly a week. "And you don't get any choice but to go along, Red." Deliberately using Faith's moniker for Willow showing how unhappy she was with the wiccan. She questioned Gabrielle, "What did that girl do with her pretty red shoes that you liked so much, in that moving picture you watched?" Xena shrugged, answering her own question with, "Never mind. I like 'Home James!' better!" The warrior chortled as the room started to spin. Oh yes, she was happy. She was going home. 

The world stopped spinning and the brunette warrior looked around her  
spotting Argo just off a ways as she caught and steadied her bard, who  
landed rather clumsily beside her. The grin that spread across Xena's face completely lit it up. Oh yeah... she was home, at last. 

A chorus of 'Oomphs' behind them had the duo turning only to see four bodies tumbled about on the ground and they started laughing. Yeah, traveling by "God Express" the first time can be a bitch. 

"So welcome to Ancient Greece." The warrior addressed the four women in  
front of her. 

Buffy and Faith scrambled to their feet quickly while Willow stood and attempted to help Tara to her feet. They looked about them before looking over at the Greeks. 

"So where the hell are we, and what did you say before, 'cause seriously,  
it was all Greek to me?" Buffy questioned them. 

Gabrielle and Xena stared at them somewhat stunned. They were puzzled  
about being able to understand the blonde's question, yet the slayer had  
not understood them. 

"Erm... Dite?" Xena called out. "You might wanna fix this if we're gonna  
do anything at all. Cuz ya busted something in transport." 

Tara spoke up quietly from behind them. "Um g-guys. I th-think we're in  
Ancient G-greece." the blonde wiccan had spotted Argo grazing a little  
way off. 

"WE ARE WHERE?!" Was the only response Buffy had.

Disclaimer: No slayer, witches, warriors or bard's were seriously harmed  
during the making of this motion FIC and subsequent time travel.  
However, some backsides were bruised for several days.


End file.
